Triplane



1. L. SHANKLAND.

TRIPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-23. 191 9.

Patentd May 10,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. L. SHANKLAND.

TRIPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-23,1919.

Patented May 10,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- J. L. SHANKLAND.

TRIPLANE.

' APPLIQATON men AUG.23| 19.

Patented May 10, 1921'.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Jam L. qshalvlolarzob,

@vtowwy uNrra JAMES L. SHANKLAND, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, OANADA.

TRIPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May io, 11921.

Application filed August 23, 1919. Serial No. 319,376.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that l, JAMns L. SHANK- LAND, a subject of the King of Great Brit- 7 am, IGSlClll'l at Toronto, 111 the Provlnce of Ontario, (irnada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Triplanes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to flying machines, and has special reference to a tri-plane embodying some of the well known principles of mono-planes and bi-planes, and this particular application is directed to the sustaining planes, wings and appurtenant parts, associated with a body which is .made the subject matter of a companion application.

The primary object of thisinvention is to provide a novel arrangement of aerofoils, sustaining planes and wings which will permit of an extremely large body or fuselage being carried, and the arrangement of the planes and the wings is such that the lifting power of the same will be properly distributed, relative to a body, so as to maintain the same normally on an even keel.

Another object of this invention is to provide sustaining planes or wings of large area which are trussed and braced to prevent buckling or accidental warping, the planes and wings having V shape formation which afford a greater lifting power intermediate the ends thereof than at the tips of the planes or wings, thus permitting considerable weight being suspended from the planes and wings.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tri-plane wherein the planes andwings are disposed in stepped order with the planes and wings gradually decreasing in area from the forward end of the tri-plane toward the rear end thereof. This arrangement of the planes and wings permitting of a stream line body or fueslage being suspended from the planes and wings without interference by the propulsion means of the tri-plane.

A still further object ofmy invention is to provide a tri-plane having a maximum spread of wings, including ailerons and a tail construction, and the manner of disposing the wings relative to a body provides a dirigible machine of the heavier than air type which can be easily controlled with a safety factor greater than that of small planes.

The above are a few of the objects attained by the present invention, and reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plane; Y

F 2 is a side elevation of the same, and

Fig. 3 is a'plan of the tri-plane.

In describing my invention by aid or the views above referred to, I desire it tobe understood that the same are intended as merely illustrative of a machine by which my invention may be put intopractice, and I do not care to confine myself'tothe precise construction and arrangement of parts other than defined by the appended claim.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes abody or fuselage, and above the forward end of the body are large main sus taining planes 2 having the inner ends thereof connected by an intermediate plane 3. The intermediate plane 3- coope'rat'es with the planes 2 in providing an'aerofoil of considerable area, the planes 2 having straight front edges and the rear edges thereof disposed at an angle to thefront straight edges, so that each plane will have tips or outer ends of less area than the inner ends of said planes and with the area of said planes gradually increasing from the tips or outer ends thereof to the plane 3, the greatest lifting power of the planes is located above or in proximity to the body 1.

perspective view of the tri- The planes 2 and 3 are preferably made 0 transverse ribs, some of which have been indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 and designated 4:, said ribs being equally spaced and connected bylongitudinal beams 5, 6 and 7 the beams 5 and 6 being disposed throughout the length of the plane and the beams 7 termlnating contiguous to the tips of the planes so as to provide clearance for ailerons 8.

which are hingedly connected to the outer ends of the beams 6. With the planes made of spruce covered with cloth and properly finished there is a rigid aerofoil which is supported relative tothe body 1 by a plurality of sets of struts 9, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said struts extending upwardly from the body 1 with some of the struts supporting tips of the planes and other of which converge to a main mast 12 carried by the body 1 and extending through the intermediate plane 3 to a sufficient height above said intermediate plane to permit of mast wires extending from the mast to the planes 2 and the body 1. The mast wires are designated 13 and correspond in number to the post 10 of the planes 2, said wires extending from the upper end of the mast 12 to the posts 10, at their juncture with the planes2 and then under said planes to the body 1, said wires being connected to the body 1 as far under the same as possible so that said wires will cooperate with the struts 9 in supporting the body 1 in a defined and rigid position relative to the main aerofoil.

Other mast wires 14 extend from the top of the mast 12 to the body 1, independent of the planes 2, as best shown in Fig. 2, and still other mast wires 15 extend from the intermediate plane 3 to the mast 12, in proximity to the upper end thereof. With the mast 12 extending into the body 1 and firmly anchored relative thereto the planes 2 are firmly trussed relative to said body.

The reference numerals 16 denote wings or intermediate planes, said wings being disposed at a tangent to the body 1 ith the inner ends thereof rigidly connected to said body, so that said wings will be disposed in a plane below-that of the planes 2, but in the rear of said planes with a gap therebetween corresponding to the chord of the planes 2. The wings 16 are the same shape, in plan, as the planes 2, but of less area, and said wings are constructed similar to the planes 2, that is, said wings have ailerons 1C and connected posts 18.

On the body 1 is a mast 19 connected to the body 1 by wires 20 extending to the inner ends of the wings 16 and also to the body 1, similar (10 the wires 1 1 of the mast 12. The upper end of the mast 19 is connected by wires 21 to the posts 18 of the wings 16, said wires being continued under the wings to the body 1, siinilarto the wires 13 of the main aerofoil.

'The reference numeral 22 denotes rear wings in a plane below the plane or" the wings 16 and spaced therefrom by a gap equal to the chord of the wings 16. The wings 22 are constructed similar to the wings 16 by having ailerons 23 and sets of posts 24, but the rear wings 22 are of less area than the wings 16, so that the wings 22 and 16,

and the planes 2, will be in stepped formation. The rear wings 22 are also disposed at a tangent to the body 1 and protrude from the sides thereof adjacent the bottom of said body, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The top and bottom of the body 1 have verti cally alining masts 25 and 26 and besides these masts being braced and connected to the top and bottom of the body 1, said masts are connected to the posts 24 of the wings 22 by mast wires 27, similar to the wires 13 and 21.

Considering the planes and wings, said planes and wings are disposed at an angle about six and a half degrees and have a dihedral angle of two degees, while the camber of each wing and plane is-about oneseventeenth of its chord. Now, with the wings and planes of large area, gradually diminishing from the forward end of the body to the central portion thereof, said wings will have 'a lifting capacity of approximately ten tons, so that the body 1 may be of large size, similar to a rigid dirigible balloon. In placing the planes and wings in stepped order there is sufficient clearance for the propulsion means of the tri-plane, entrance to the body 1, and sufiicient clearance for novelfeatures in connection with the body.

Cooperating with the planes and wings above described is a tail construction at the rear end of the body, comprising horizontal tail pieces 28 provided with elevators 29, and vertical tail pieces 30 provided with a rudder 31. The rudder 31, elevators 29' and ailerons of the planes 2 and the wings 16 and 22 are all controlled by suitable mecha nism and devices from within the body 1.

Nhat I claim is I A tri-plane comprising a body, an aerofoil above said body, intermediate wings protruding from the sides of said body adjacent the top thereof, rear wings protruding from the sides of said body adjacent the bottom thereof, said wings being in planes steppedv downwardly from said aerofoil and decreasing in area with the tips of said aerofoil and wings of less area than the central and inner portions thereof so as to concentrate the lifting power of said aero foil and Wings at said body, posts above and below said aerofoil and wings with the posts of each trussed together and to the lower sides of said body, masts mounted on said bod in a central vertical plane with one of JAMES L. SHANKLAND.

Witnesses Onnsrnn W. MARTIN, J. H. WETMORE. 

